LAPD Assists Federal Agency in Drug Investigation of One of Its Own

Los Angeles:  After a nearly two month investigation, a Los Angeles police officer is arrested for selling narcotics.

In April 2010, investigators from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) informed the Los Angeles Police Department that a Los Angeles police officer was suspected of off-duty involvement in the sales of narcotics.  At that time, the LAPD launched an internal administrative investigation and cooperated fully with the DEA to support their criminal case.

As a result of the investigation, Police Officer II Yoshio Romero, a five year veteran of the Department, was arrested on June 7, 2025 in Riverside County for a federal arrest warrant charging sales of methamphetamine.  Romero was appointed to the Department in September of 2005 and is currently assigned to Southeast Division patrol.  The investigation is ongoing.  

For more information, contact Public Information Officer Debra Hartman United States Attorney's Office Southern District of California at 619-557-5275.

Comments

[John Porras (HOBK)]

B@WOp, we choose to post on this "public" forum because it's called freedom of speech (spoken or written). Therefore, with the permission of this blog's moderater, I can post almost any idea I wish to express. If we don't agree, that's cool. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Everyone has a thought, idea, or opinion. Like you, I readily agree we should never post "snipes" at one another. However, as an adult, I will reply to anyone who feels compelled to chastise me or direct "snipes" at me first. As a man, I do not need to hide behind "anonimity" that it why I posted my true name and division I work.

[Implosion]

I am so glad that I retired from LAPD when I did. I never thought I'd see the day when LAPD field officers and sergeants would rip each other so personally and in public. Your actions are turning the LAPD into just another run-of-the-mill police agency. What a shame! Instead of all the infighting, you should all be worried about in what funds your pension money is invested and who is handling it. The City of LA can easily become another Maywood (see today's LA Times), or worse, can follow Ex-Mayor Riordan's advice and declare bankruptcy. These are uncharted waters and all you boys and girls at each others throats need to come together to ensure the future of your families! Godspeed.

[Five Adam Twelve]

S.W.A.T. you pogues got nothing on the real men of LAPD. I'm just saying.

[downtown employee]

I sat and watched the funeral of Cottal, then I sat and watched the funeral of Gates...I saw all these people in uniform take part. Now I read these comments and wonder why? Why did the city go through all that expense when very few of you even like each other? So each of you will put on a unifor show up at some dead cops funeral pay your resects and then while in the locker room changing out of your uniform recall why he was such a well they won't print this if I write that word so I'll let each of you fill in the blank. Why? Why go to that cops funeral when how you really feel is well printed here? Why pretend? I had such respect for each of you for the job you do now the next time I hear that some cop had died in the line of duty I'll hate the fact that traffic will get backed up downtown and my day will be effected...all because none of you really care what happens to each to each other anyway.

[Ed O'Shea]

"downtown employee"........ I find your pejorative comments to be obtuse and callow, while also lacking any credibility whatsoever. A couple Officers have a healthy debate, and quite a few people get all spun around the axle with it. I don't necessarily agree with some of the banter, yet that has zero to do with weather or not I would "show up" to an Officers funeral who was killed in the line of duty. Or weather or not I would step in front of a bullet for them. I would regardless of what I thought of the officer on a personal level. Having said that, Officer RJ Cottle was a stand up guy, one hell of an Officer and a true Patriot! Chief Gates was the best Chief this city has ever had, and was also a great human being, who served his country and city with honor! But then people like you would never understand what it takes to put your life on the line, both in battle while serving your country in the Military, or on the mean streets of this great country. Ease up on your finger wagging please. This isn't a typical 9 to 5 job, where your biggest fear is time management. we deal with real life or death problems and that does give us a different perspective. The things we deal with probably don't look that big to you from the other side of the fence, but when your staring it in the face on a daily basis, it's humbling when an Officer is killer in the line of duty. And showing up to the funeral is the least you can do for the family and their sacrifice.

[downtowm]

Ed,

I didn't say that Cottle or
Gates were bad or anything negative about them. I was pleased to see the both of them get the recognition that they deserved. My question to you is why should I care if a cop dies if you guys don't seem to care about each other? Now if you would step in the line of fire or give your life to someone is not the question here. I want to know now that I know there is so much hostility within the department why should I care if another dies when you guys don't or can't seem to figure out quen es mas macho. Your fellow co-workers put all this stuff out there for the general public to read not me. If they can't figure out this stuff for either themselves or each other why should I care? That's all I wanted to know. I have read some of your past post and I have respect for you and did have a lot more respect for your fellow co-workers until this stupid stuff hit the computer. I don't know if I will ever have that same respect.

[Stop complaining about senseless issues]

What a bunch of cry babies.

[Lynn]

To "downtown", you should care because a human being, a Police Officer, was killed in the line of duty protecting the citizens of this city. To all of my LAPD officers, you all do a great job, regardless of the division you work in. It makes no difference to me. I'm just thankfull that you all signed up for this sometimes, thankless job. And believe me, many people from Harbor to Topanga, agree with me. God bles you all.

[Curtis Lemanski]

If you re-read this blog, it was someone calling out a south end cop who started all the sniping back and forth. Dan defended himself and "south enders" and Porras took it personally and stirred up the hornet’s nest.

There's no secret every bureau, division, watch and specialized unit has its own culture. Some divisions attract more proactive officers because they tend to have a much higher operation tempo. Having worked every bureau in the city and not staying in one place I'm comfortable in, I can attest to that. Having been the victim of crimes more than a few times within the city I work for, I can describe the different levels of professionalism I received by bureau, even when responding officers knew (or eventually learned) I was one of them. Lets just say some officers were happier to help than others.

Even the slowest of division has police officers who are every bit as capable of a "south end" cop of going out and hooking and booking. They are no less a cop just because they happen to or chose to work a particular place.

There are good cops in every division. What makes a good cop? Someone who goes out and gives it 100% every day. That doesn't necessarily mean chasing gangsters with guns every shift; it could just as easily mean handling as many radio calls and giving the utmost attention to the citizen who called you. Writing a good report so detectives can do a good follow-up.

Working a particular division or reacting heroically and admirably in one particular incident does not give you carte blanche to criticize others. Nor does it qualify you as a "super-cop." You may be a super-cop one day and the next day make a huge mistake and end up dead. When you retire alive, safe and can look back on what you've done with pride: then you're a super-cop.

The fact that this felon worked the south end has absolutely nothing to do with his crime. I think he was wheeled there, and stayed. We should be more interested in how he got hired than where he worked. Maybe there were no signs; maybe there were. Hopefully PSB is doing a study of all cops fired and for what. Hopefully they the results on to Personnel so we can ensure those responding to our back-ups and help calls, no matter what division, aren't slinging dope or high on meth.

[Ed O'Shea]

Amen Curtis!